Reading Sports w/ SteveDwriter

Well, the weekend didn’t go quite like I expected but I’ll take a 2-2 split. Looking back at a few of the games, they were actually terrible. Luckily, the Packers/Cardinals game saved the day as the two teams played possibly the most entertaining game all season. A lot of lopsided games this weekend and you usually don’t get that in rematches. If you missed all the action, you didn’t miss much except for one game and if you didn’t catch that then read on.

New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals

What I predicted…Jets 23-16

What I said would happen…“Regardless if Ochocinco plays or not, it’s a lose-lose scenario for the Bengals. If he does play, he’ll have Revis draped all over him. If he doesn’t play, Revis will just be draped all over the Bengals’ next best wideout, reducing Cincy quarterback Carson Palmer’s list of targets even more. The Bengals have lost three of their last four games and are backing their way into the playoffs without anything clicking. The once-stingy defense has allowed 26 points per game over the last four contests and Palmer has only passed for more than 200 yards in three of the last seven full games that he’s played. Things don’t look good for Cincy.”

What actually happened…The Jets won 24-14. The rookie trio of Sanchez, Ryan and running back Shonn Greene helped extend Cincinnati’s 19-year playoff winless streak with a few big plays on offense and stifling defense. Greene’s 39-yard run at the top of the second quarter tied the game at 7-7 before Sanchez found tight end Dustin Keller for a 45-yard score to put the Jets (10-7) ahead for good.

My reactions…The Bengals (10-7) will have to pack up and get ready for next year. A weak offensive line and lack of quality playmakers at receiver limited Cincinnati to one-and-done this season. What once used to be one of the top receiver trios in the league has been reduced to the power of one. Cincinnati lost both T.J. Houshmanzadeh and Chris Henry essentially in one year and will need to reload if they want to challenge for a title.

New York (10-7) has arguably the best defense left in the playoffs and it all revolves around lockdown cover corner Darrelle Revis. His ability to blanket receivers gives the Jets a huge advantage on defense while they punish foes on offense with a stout running game. How far they can go with the rookie Sanchez at QB is anybody’s guess. Stay tuned…

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

What I predicted…

Cowboys 27-17

What I said would happen …“The Eagles will need to force turnovers from Dallas if they want to pull the upset on the road in Big D but as long as the Cowboys stick to a run-heavy formula, turnovers will be hard to come across for the Eagles. Dallas has been known to force the passing game on certain occasions and could feel compelled to get into a shouting match with Philadelphia if the Eagles score early. It’s hard picking a team to lose its third game in a season to one opponent but if Dallas sticks to the formula, they should handle Philadelphia with ease.”

What actually happened…The Cowboys won 34-14. The Cowboys exploded for 27 points in the second quarter, capitalizing on a slew of Eagles mistakes. A 40-yard pass interference call on Philadelphia set Dallas up for their first touchdown of the game on an one-yard score before consecutive fumbles by the Eagles late in the second quarter led to a 10-0 Cowboys run to end the half.

My reactions…For the last few seasons, the Eagles (11-6) have had a reluctance to stick to their running game, electing to try to outshoot their opponents. Against Dallas however, they faced a defense that has every bit as much speed as they do offense. The Cowboys are now the kings of the NFC East and if the Eagles want to challenge then they’ll have to seriously consider the way they do their offensive business next year.

Just last year, the Eagles blasted the Cowboys (11-6) in the season finale 44-6. Ironically, that was the turning point for Dallas. They shed all their haywire clown acts over the summer and refocused things on football. Not only did they end their December woes but they annihilated Philadelphia to break their 13-year playoff drought and extract a little revenge in the process. The Cowboys are officially the hottest team in the NFC and they’ll be a tough out for any team remaining in the playoffs. Stay tuned…

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots

What I predicted…

Patriots 24-21

What I said would happen …“Road playoffs games aren’t anything new to Flacco, who went 2-1 on the road in last year’s postseason but Patriots coach Bill Belichick loves to turn up the heat on young signal callers in the postseason and he’ll make no exception for Flacco and Co. Both the Patriots and Ravens are evenly matched throughout their teams but the postseason is all about quarterback play. In a game between Flacco and Brady… well …. you can never go wrong with taking a three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback over a three-game postseason signal caller.”

What actually happened…The Ravens won 33-14. Baltimore wasted no time in punching the Patriots in the mouth on the way to the franchise’s first ever win against the Pats. Baltimore jumped to a 24-0 first quarter lead behind second-year running back Ray Rice’s 83-yard run on the opening play of the game. The Ravens forced three first quarter turnovers that led to consecutive scores for Baltimore.

My reactions….

There has been talk that this might be the last hurrah for the Patriots (10-7). Brady doesn’t have the time to just sit in the pocket anymore, Randy Moss’ play continues to reflect his beard (yuck) and their best offensive player, Wes Welker, just suffered two tears in his knee. The defense is shaky and the once brilliant Bill Belichick has been outcoached several times this season. So if rumors are spreading that this is New England’s last hurrah, well, maybe I believe them.

Baltimore (10-7) continues to pile up impressive playoff victories with sophomore QB Flacco under center. Although Flacco only passed for 34 yards, it was a total team effort that blitzed the Patriots this past Sunday. The Ravens are now the most scariest team in the AFC playoffs and a season of tough losses could help propel them to their second Super Bowl appearance since the 2000 season. Stay tuned…

Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals

What I predicted…

Packers 28-23

What I said would happen…“If it’s two teams in the NFC that I love, it’s Arizona and Green Bay. While neither team is the ideal picture of healthy right now, it’s hard to go against the grain of a hot Green Bay team. I think if Rodgers has time, he could put up 30 against any defense remaining in the playoffs and with the Cardinals’ best corner ailing, Rodgers will be ready for an encore.”

What actually happened…

The Cardinals won 51-45. Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby returned a fumble 17 yards in overtime to end an offensive slugout. Arizona led 31-10 at the top of the third quarter before Green Bay outscored the Cardinals 35-14 over the next quarter and a half to tie the game 45-45 with just over ten seconds remaining in regulation.

My reactions…

If I’m a member of the Packers, I can’t wait until next season gets started. Green Bay (11-6) will have two key defenders in Aaron Kampman and Al Harris returning, the offensive line should get better and stud QB Aaron Rodgers will have another season and the sting of a tough playoff loss under his belt. With a solid front office and franchise QB in place, the Packers are a team on the rise. Usually a team that finishes as a Wild Card at 11-5 is in store for huge things the following season. Stay tuned…

The Cardinals (11-6) are the defending NFC champion and that makes them a team to be taken serious. Arizona will probably get starting receiver Anquan Boldin back for next week and when Kurt Warner plays at a high level, the Cardinals are one of the best teams in the league. Sunday’s shootout with Green Bay exposed a lot of their problems on defense but their offense proved even without Boldin, it can go toe-to-toe with the best of them. With Boldin scheduled for a return, keep the fireworks on standby. Stay tuned…

After a winding season, the NFL playoffs are set to begin this Saturday. While the top two seeds in both the AFC and NFC will be home resting this week, teams ready to begin Wild Card play enter the postseason hotter than some of the league’s higher seeds.

The Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints earned first round byes after both teams combined to go 25-9 on the season but both squads ended the regular season on sour notes. The Vikings lost three out of their last five games and the Saints lost three straight to close their campaign. While the Vikings showed signs of life with a 44-7 demolition of the reeling New York Giants in their season finale, a power struggle between head coach Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre casted a dark cloud over the last quarter of the season for Minnesota. With Favre, 40, tiptoeing the line of retirement, it’s officially Super Bowl or bust for the Vikings this year.

Expect happier times for Rivers and Co. this postseason (Photo courtesy of NFL.com)

The Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals will hit the ground running. For the Cowboys and Packers, they wouldn’t have it any other way. Winners of three straight, the Cowboys will be gunning for their first playoff win since 1996. A road win against the once undefeated Saints and back to back shutouts have the Cowboys flying high while they attempt to reverse their recent trend of late season woes.

The Packers have won seven of their last eight games and will open their playoff run against a Cardinal team they just annihilated 33-7 in Arizona’s home finale. Green Bay ranks second in overall defense and their do-it-all cover corner Charles Woodson is a defensive MVP finalist. Second year signal caller Aaron Rodgers is at the top of the quarterback list in most sporting circles.

The Cardinals and Eagles couldn’t have ended their seasons on poorer notes. With the NFC East crown on the line, the Eagles’ 24-0 loss to the Cowboys was definitely a setback but their prior six-game winning streak is evidence they can turn things around.

Turning things around isn’t something the AFC’s second seed needs to worry about. Winners of eleven straight, the San Diego Chargers have become most sporting pundits “sexy” pick to reach the Super Bowl. Quarterback Philip Rivers earned his third trip to the Pro Bowl and he leads a remarkable cast of athletes on a talented Chargers team.

San Diego will be one of the favorites to advance out of the AFC especially since they’ve had the top ranked Indianapolis Colts number for quite some time. The Colts blazed to a 14-0 start this year but losers of consecutive games could be cause for some concern. Their bigger concern could be a Charger team they’re 1-3 against in the last two seasons including two postseason exits courtesy of Rivers and company.

While the Chargers have had the Colts number, the New England Patriots have had theirs, going 3-1 against San Diego since the 2006 season and knocking the Chargers out of postseason play twice over that span. The Patriots will be down a man however after leading receiver Wes Welker tore both his MCL and ACL in the season finale against Houston.

Welker isn’t the only leading receiver to suffer an injury in the season finale as the Cincinnati Bengals Chad Ochocinco bruised his knee in warm-ups prior to the Bengals finale against the New York Jets. Ironically, both teams will open the playoffs against each other as the first game on Saturday. The Bengals will be seeking revenge after getting blanked by the Jets 37-0.

The fifth seed Baltimore Ravens round out the AFC’s playoff pool. The Ravens won three of their remaining four games to earn consecutive trips to the playoffs and will try to make amends after falling one game short last season of making the franchise’s second Super Bowl appearance.

This year’s playoff pool of participants is deep and talented and all offer something different to the table. Teams like New Orleans, San Diego and Green Bay offer explosive offenses while squads like Baltimore and New York bring stingy defenses with them. The Packers and Dallas Cowboys may be the most well-rounded teams in this year’s tournament while the Minnesota Vikings and Chargers are probably the most talented.

I expect the Chargers and Packers to end up facing off in the Super Bowl with the Bolts edging the Pack narrowly in a close thriller. It’s the Chargers’ year after back-to-back playoff exits to the eventual AFC Super Bowl representative. The Bolts are the hottest team in football and you’re not going to find a pair of 6-5 and over cover corners to match up with their shooting guard-sized receivers. Rivers has quietly put together an MVP season and he’ll join classmates Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning to form the most prestigious quarterback draft class ever after he captures his first Super Bowl and solidifies the QB class of ’04.

I know I’ve been absent for the last couple of weeks but you know how it is around the holidays. Family and friends absolutely don’t believe you work and if they do believe you work, well… they don’t think your job is all that important anyway but regardless, 30-18 on the regular season and I guess you could say I get a clean slate for the postseason.

Well at least I think I should. I returned just in time for the best weekend (in my opinion) of the playoffs. Wild Card weekend always packs a bunch of surprises and spectacular plays. Ironically, this weekend will feature four rematches from the regular season and three rematches from last week alone.

If your favorite team was on the winning side of last weekend’s matches then football follower beware. It’s typically difficult to beat a team in back-to-back weeks and teams can turn faces quick in the playoffs. Regular season powerhouses turn into first round exiters and mediocre teams turn into giants. Should be fun either way. Read along and enjoy the best weekend (in my opinion) of the playoffs.

New York Jets (9-7) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) 4:30 p.m. Sat

Say what you want, but 37-0 isn’t something that just happens. You don’t just get walloped 37-0 and expect to bounce back and beat the same team that smacked you 37-0 the very next week. As tough as it sounds, the Bengals will attempt to recover from a season finale shutout to the hands of quietly solid Jets.

New York has won five out of their last six games and will enter the playoffs on a defensive tear. Aside from finishing the season as the top overall unit, the Jets have allowed just 47 points in their last six games, good for a paltry 7.8 points per contest in the last month and a half of the year. Nobody, I repeat: NOBODY gets open when third-year coverman Darrelle Revis locks horns with them and head coach Rex Ryan has transformed his defensive troops into a lockdown unit.

The Jets have the league’s top running game and everything sets up perfectly to wheel rookie QB Mark Sanchez along slowly. New York will implement the same principles when they square off against the Bengals in the opening postseason game and that could spell trouble for the once-hyped Bengals. While the Jets don’t allow teams to score, the Bengals don’t score much at all anyway. Cincinnati has averaged just 15.7 points per game in their last nine contests and could be without the services of leading receiver Chad Ochocinco, who bruised his knee in warm-ups last week against the Jets.

Regardless if Ochocinco plays or not, it’s a lose-lose scenario for the Bengals. If he does play, he’ll have Revis draped all over him. If he doesn’t play, Revis will just be draped all over the Bengals’ next best wideout, reducing Cincy quarterback Carson Palmer’s list of targets even more. The Bengals have lost three of their last four games and are backing their way into the playoffs without anything clicking. The once-stingy defense has allowed 26 points per game over the last four contests and Palmer has only passed for more than 200 yards in three of the last seven full games that he’s played. Things don’t look good for Cincy. Jets 23-16

Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) vs. Dallas Cowboys (11-5) 8 p.m. Sat

Say what you want, but 24-0 isn’t something that just happens. You don’t just get walloped 24-0 and expect to bounce back and beat the same team that smacked you 24-0 the very next week. Although you’ve read it before, last Sunday’s loss against the Cowboys pointed out the obvious for the Eagles: they don’t match up well with the ‘Boys.

Philly built an 11-5 record this season on big plays and an opportunistic defense. The last two meetings that they’ve encountered the ‘Boys, Dallas has used a ball control offense and paid close attention to the Eagles’ aerial attack to take their big-play offense out of the game. The Cowboys have tried to bait Philly into transforming into a running team by focusing heavily on defending their passing attack.

Because of the Eagles’ plethora of playmakers at the receiver position, it’s worked perfectly for Dallas in both games as the Eagles became too bored to stick with a grind-it-out gameplan. Expect Dallas to stick to the same strategy this weekend as they go for the always tough three-game sweep of the Eagles. Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid is never going to be a pound and ground coach as long as he has Donovan McNabb at the quarterback controls and DeSean Jackson at the wing but he’ll need to counter this week.

The Eagles will need to force turnovers from Dallas if they want to pull the upset on the road in Big D but as long as the Cowboys stick to a run-heavy formula, turnovers will be hard to come across for the Eagles. Dallas has been known to force the passing game on certain occasions and could feel compelled to get into a shouting match with Philadelphia if the Eagles score early. It’s hard picking a team to lose its third game in a season to one opponent but if Dallas sticks to the formula, they should handle Philadelphia with ease. Cowboys 27-17

Baltimore Ravens (9-7) vs. New England Patriots (10-6) 1 p.m. Sun

Playoff rematches of regular season matches are always so intriguing, especially when you get two dominant teams like the Patriots and Ravens. New England will have to adjust after they lost the NFL’s leading receiver Wes Welker to a blown knee in their season finale against the Houston Texans.

While the loss of Welker is a definite blow, his replacement, rookie receiver Julian Edelman, has posted 21 catches and 221 yards in the three games that Welker has missed this season, proving that he is more than capable of picking up the slack. The Patriots Tom Brady and Randy Moss will also attempt to pick up the slack in Welker’s absence and that’s never a bad pair of helping hands but Brady may need a helping hand himself after showing up on the injury report in the past few weeks with broken ribs and a finger injury on his throwing hand.

Playing against the Ravens is never an ideal scenario for a banged up QB but Baltimore hasn’t been the same ferocious unit of years’ past. The Ravens ranked 18th in sacks this season and New England’s recent reemphasis on the running game could help nullify Brady’s lingering injuries. Baltimore’s sophomore backfield of Ray Rice and Joe Flacco has been pretty special all season and they’ll be expected to once again lead the Ravens in a tough game.

Road playoffs games aren’t anything new to Flacco, who went 2-1 on the road in last year’s postseason but Patriots coach Bill Belichick loves to turn up the heat on young signal callers in the postseason and he’ll make no exception for Flacco and Co. Both the Patriots and Ravens are evenly matched throughout their teams but the postseason is all about quarterback play. In a game between Flacco and Brady… well …. you can never go wrong with taking a three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback over a three-game postseason signal caller. Patriots 24-21

Green Bay Packers (11-5) vs. Arizona Cardinals (10-6) 4:40 p.m. Sun

Wow! Well… when we last left the Cardinals they were getting blasted to the tune of 33-7 in their season finale to hot Packers BUT that was on a 4-for-6 performance from starting QB Kurt Warner who was pulled from the game early. Nevertheless, the Packers never let up as they went ahead by as much as 33-0 at one point in the game.

The Cardinals may face a consecutive postseason with a hobbled Anquan Boldin, who left the game with an ankle injury. While Boldin’s loss would be huge, the Cardinals were dealt a triple blow when starting corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and starting defensive lineman Calais Campbell were forced out of the game with serious-looking injuries. If all three are forced to miss any time, Arizona’s chances at a repeat Super Bowl appearance would take a significant dent.

The Packers aren’t without their own significant injury concerns as do-it-all- defensive back Charles Woodson suffered a shoulder injury that left him wrapped up on the sidelines during the game’s closing moments. Woodson is expected to play and against Arizona’s remaining healthy receivers such as Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston, Green Bay can ill-afford for Woodson to miss any time. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is well-equipped to handle the duties of carrying Green Bay regardless of who misses time for the Packers but keep in mind, it’s a team sport.

And nobody knows the team sport better than the Packers’ Rodgers. Rodgers has found nine different receivers in his 30 touchdown mark and his reluctance to key on one receiver forces defenses to account for every member of the Packers offense. The Cardinals have a formidable secondary when Rodgers-Cromartie plays but with DRC’s status in question, Rodgers could be open for a field day.

If it’s two teams in the NFC that I love, it’s Arizona and Green Bay. While neither team is the ideal picture of healthy right now, it’s hard to go against the grain of a hot Green Bay team. I think if Rodgers has time, he could put up 30 against any defense remaining in the playoffs and with the Cardinals’ best corner ailing, Rodgers will be ready for an encore. Packers 28-23

A 3-1 record over the weekend puts me at an impressive 25-15, good for exactly 10 games over .500 (like I predicted last week). I need to stop shooting myself in the foot and predicting games before the official injury reports are released. If I would’ve known Kurt Warner’s health status before he shredded the Vikings, I would’ve definitely picked Arizona. Nevertheless, I’ll take 3-1 and from now, I’ll start giving myself a cushion should any serious health concerns arise by predicting a score favoring an injury report and one not favoring a report. Great weekend in football though. As the playoffs loom, games get more and more important. In case you missed anything:

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts

What I predicted …

Colts 30–17

What I said would happen …

“If Indy can slow Johnson and force Young to beat them they should be in good shape. Although Tennessee’s defense has been playing well, Manning is playing on another planet right now. The Colts are on a title mission and when it comes to the regular season, Indy could care less about going undefeated but the job of securing home field advantage isn’t done yet and a win against the Titans will put them one step closer.

What actually happened …

The Colts won 27-17. Indianapolis kept their regular season winning streak alive and tied the mark for most consecutive wins at 21. The Colts kept the electric Chris Johnson in check from breaking any long runs and held Vince Young to a 77.8 passer rating. Indianapolis led 24-10 at the top of the fourth and was never really threatened by the Titans. Colts running back Joseph Addai hasn’t had an outstanding season in terms of yardage but the third-year runner added two touchdowns against Tennessee that pushed his total up to 12 for the year.

My reactions …

What else can you say about the Colts? At 12-0, it would take a major collapse to keep them from securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs and with Peyton Manning taking the snaps, well, that’s probably not going to happen. The defense doesn’t get a lot of recognition (and probably never will as long as 18 is behind the center) but they’re tied for second in the league in points given up at 16.8 per game. Pretty good combination when you have a walking Hall of Famer at the quarterback position and your defense is among the stingiest in the league at not giving up points. Let’s see how far it takes them. Stay tuned…

Well … Sunday’s loss probably ends all chances for the Titans to make this year’s playoffs. A 5-7 record would require the Titans to win out and some other teams to lose a few games which neither scenario is highly likely. Tennessee will undoubtedly benefit from an early draft pick and should return to prominence next season considering they’ve showed with a midseason five-game winning streak that they can play with any team. Johnson has played his way into the discussion for best running back in the league and Young’s play of late has bought him some extra time in a Titan uniform and with some likely mid-round draft picks, Tennessee will probably return to playoff form next season.

Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants

What I predicted …

Giants 27-18

What I said would happen …

“The Giants have beaten the ‘Boys in three out of their last four meetings and have done so in confidence crippling fashion. In Dallas in ’07’s playoffs, a 35-14 humiliation in New York in ’08 and a 33-31 triumph early in the year to christen Dallas’ new all-everything stadium. If you went off stats and who’s playing better than Dallas would be the obvious pick but with their backs against the wall, a must win game and in front of their home crowd, if New York doesn’t win this game, it’ll be more of a testament to how bad the Giants have gotten instead of how good the Cowboys are and I don’t think the Giants are as bad as the last few weeks have shown.”

What actually happened …

The Giants won 31-24. New York bounced back in a big way, trumping the division-leading Cowboys and fighting their way back into playoff contention. After getting ran on in their first meeting for 251 yards and allowing a whopping 8.7 yards per carry, the Giants held the Cowboys to a measly 45 yards on the ground, allowing a dismal two yards per carry. The Giants blew the game open after Domenik Hixon’s 79-yard punt return upped the score 31-17 with 5:33 left in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys actually had a chance to get right back into the game on the following possession but Dallas QB Tony Romo overthrew receiver Roy Williams on a for-sure touchdown and Dallas turned the ball over on downs two plays later.

My reactions …

Good game by the Giants (7-5). Their sweep of the Cowboys (8-4) gives them the ultimate trump card should things come down to a tie breaker later in the month. The Giants will get the Philadelphia Eagles at home next week for a chance to further help their playoff cause with a win. The Eagles trounced the G-Men 40-17 in their earlier meeting this season but things shouldn’t be so lopsided this time around. Giants QB Eli Manning looked recovered from his foot injury and running back Brandon Jacobs looked as fresh as he has in weeks. New York really pumped the life back into its season and Sunday’s date with the Eagles could have the G-Men sitting back atop the division if things fall correctly. Stay tuned…

It’s December for the ‘Boys and that usually spells trouble. Usually. Even with their disappointing loss to the Giants, Dallas should have some renewed faith considering how well Romo has been playing in recent weeks. Romo threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns against New York, his highest totals ever in the month of December in both categories. Romo’s play alone has been troubling in the later stages of previous seasons but he seems to have matured into a very reliable quarterback for the ‘Boys this year. If Romo can continue his heady play, Dallas may be able to break their December curse and make a strong push for a top seed as the postseason nears but it won’t be easy. Dallas’ next two opponents are a combined 21-3. Stay tuned…

Minnesota Vikings vs. Arizona Cardinals

What I predicted …

Vikings 31-20

What I said would happen …

“If it’s one way to attack Minnesota, it’s through the air. The Vikes are 19th against the pass but will get a boost in their coverage if top corner Antoine Winfield is able to play this weekend after missing the last five games with a foot injury. Coming back against Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin isn’t exactly a welcomed return but the Vikes are definitely better with Winfield than without. Warner could be a little trigger shy in his first game back from a concussion and playing against the Vikings stout dline could tamper the Cards’ offense. I would feel better about Arizona’s chances if Warner was healthy, but he’s not, so I don’t.”

What actually happened …

The Cardinals won 30-17. Warner was healthy and shredded the Vikings secondary for 285 yards and three touchdowns. In a battle of future Hall of Famers, Warner outdueled Minnesota’s Brett Favre, who finished the night with a 79.4 passer rating. The Cardinals defense really shined against the high-scoring Vikings, limiting Minnesota to 10 points for the majority of the game until a late touchdown strike by Favre with 1:20 remaining in the game upped the Vikings’ point total. Arizona’s defense kept Adrian Peterson in check, allowing the proverbial “best back in the league” to only 19 yards on 13 carries.

My reactions …

Minor setback for the Vikings (10-2) but sometimes, games like these help a contender’s chances later down the road. Sunday’s loss will probably knock Minnesota out of the hunt for home field advantage as the New Orleans Saints continue their undefeated march. Unless something major happens in terms of injury for the Saints, the Vikings should start focusing on locking up the second seed and resting their stars while New Orleans deals with the pressure of going undefeated. Minnesota still has a very strong team and if it means anything for the Vikes, neither of the NFC’s last two top ranked teams made it out the second round of the postseason.

It’s hard to believe that Arizona (8-4) doesn’t get a lot of recognition as one of the league’s better teams, even after last year’s Super Bowl appearance. What’s scary is that with Warner healthy, the Cards are an even better team than last year’s squad. They run the ball better. They play better defense. They have a 5-1 road record (5-0 with Warner starting). The aerial attack might be the best in the league and they just held Adrian Peterson to 19 yards. The Cards are going to win the NFC West with ease and they’ll probably annihilate whoever their visiting first round opponent is. A lot of talk gets thrown around about the Saints, Vikings, Giants and Cowboys but with Sunday’s demolition of Minnesota, the Cards might be the second best team in the NFC.

It’s a shame the Cards were forced to play without Warner against the Titans because they probably would’ve won the game had he been available. A win against the Titans would’ve put Arizona in a serious race for the second seed in the NFC and hope is not lost but regardless of wherever the Cards finish, no team is going to be raising their hands to play them in the postseason.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Green Bay Packers

What I predicted …

Packers 26-16

What I said would happen …

“The Packers D has been flying around all season and even with the losses of Aaron Kampman and Al Harris, the unit has enough talent to continue to play at a high level. It’s hard to go wrong when you have the league’s best defense and Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback. The Ravens defense may limit Rodgers and the Packers offense but Green Bay still scores enough points in an off game that opposing squads have to come with a 23-plus effort and the Packers defense won’t allow that at Lambeau Field.”

What actually happened …

The Packers won 27-14. Rodgers and Co. picked apart the Ravens depleted secondary, drawing several pass interference penalties and totaling 263 passing yards and three touchdowns. Green Bay’s defense was even more impressive, holding the Ravens to 185 total yards. Ray Rice, Baltimore’s sophomore sensation at running back, was held to 71 total yards, 54 rushing. The Packers intercepted Baltimore QB Joe Flacco three times, once in the end zone. Trailing 24-14 in the fourth, Baltimore had first-and-goal at the Packers’ one-yard line but cornerback Charles Woodson dropped the Ravens’ Willis McGahee for a two-yard loss on first down and Flacco’s pass across mid-end zone on the following play was picked off by Tramon Williams that gave the Packers the defensive stand of the game.

My reactions …

Green Bay (8-4) didn’t play one of their better offensive games but that was expected against a strong Baltimore defense. There’s little hope for the Packers to win the NFC North but their wildcard chances are alive and well. Wins over the Cowboys give Green Bay a valuable trump card should they tie with Dallas down the stretch. But their remaining schedule is stuffed with tough matchups and it will take some work (and maybe luck) for the Packers to make it in. Stay tuned…

Even with the loss, Baltimore (6-6) remains alive in their playoff hunt. As of this week, the Ravens don’t play a single team over .500 the rest of the year and it’s not out of the question for the Ravens to win out. Another date with Pittsburgh looms in a few weeks but the Steelers have lost four-straight games and clearly aren’t the same team they were last year. The Ravens will need some help to make the playoffs but they have to win first and Sunday’s date with the Detroit Lions should be the perfect opportunity to get back on track. Stay tuned…